Celebrating Israel Independence Day in Ghana
The Israeli Embassy in Ghana held the main event marking Israel’s 75th Independence Day at the National Theatre of Ghana, which was attended by some 800 dignitaries, including ministers, a senior adviser to the President of Ghana, government officials, members of parliament, judges, religious leaders, members of the diplomatic community, members of the Israeli community, academics and cultural figures, representatives of the media and a number of unique groups.
The centerpiece of the event was the performance by “Tararam,” a creative ensemble of performing artists who produce extraordinary sounds from ordinary objects – a blend of rhythm, music, movement, and wit, interwoven with choreographed body drumming, amusing sounds, and theatrical antics. Among the most distinguished guests were the Minister of the Eastern Province – a close friend of the Embassy and former head of the Parliamentary Friendship Association – who came as a representative of the government, the Minister for Local Leadership and Religious Affairs, and a Senior Advisor to the President of Ghana.
It should be noted that on the morning of the event, Ghanian President Akufo-Addo personally called Israeli Ambassador Shlomit Sufa to apologize for not being able to attend the event, conveyed warm greetings on the occasion of the 75th anniversary and announced that he would send his senior advisor to participate on his behalf. Also in attendance were the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, the Chief Minister of Parliament, senior members of parliament from the Foreign Ministry, the mayor of Accra, the capital city, religious leaders, and representatives of the King of the Ga tribe.
Through the initiative of Deputy Ambassador Ortal Popovich-Alkalay, the Embassy invited two special groups to the event: students and teachers from one of the schools to which the Embassy had donated a computer classroom, and a group of women battling cancer who receive the support of the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, as part of the embassy’s cooperation with the management of this hotel.
On the day of the event, the hall was decorated in blue and white, and virtual Israeli flags flew on the walls at the sides of the stage. Tararam performed a professional and immersive show, involved the audience in the performance, and provided the guests with an unforgettable experience. The performance included joint dance and musical segments with the National Theatre’s Dance Ensemble, which demonstrated the universality of music and rhythm and the closeness between the two peoples. The dance and musical segments received particularly positive reviews from the audience.